Northern Bank

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Two storey bank (with former manager’s house) of c.1938 in the ‘suburban Queen Anne corporate style’ favoured by many institutions at this time, with reddish-brown brick facade, hipped roof and imposing door surround. The bank is on the W side of the Comber Road within the small hamlet of Balloo (just west of the small village of Killinchy).

Front E facade has a left of centre entrance with sturdy, imposing, but simple door surround in a composite (Portland-like) stone. The surround projects slightly and has a steeply pitched ‘roof’ over. Attached to the left hand side of the surround is an internally illuminated projecting bank sign. The door itself is panelled and has a plain fanlight. Two shallow steps to door. To the left of the entrance is a large-ish window with lintel and flush (chamfered) cill in a similar material as the door surround. The window now has a mullioned and transomed PVC frame. To the right of the entrance are two similar windows. Above these windows are slightly projecting PVC letters which spell out the bank’s name. To the right of the windows is an ATM with PVC (pram hood-like) awning over. To the first floor are five windows, all similar in style to those on the ground floor, but smaller. The centre window is larger than the outer windows.

The S facade has a two windows to the ground floor and two to the first floor all much as before. Rising roughly through the centre of this facade is a projecting chimney breast which breaks through the gutter line into a tall chimney stack. This facade merges with the S face of a two storey rear lean-to section, which has a window to each floor.

Attached to the N facade is a large, fairly recently added, single storey extension with a hipped roof and three windows to the front in the same style as the original building. This extension is constructed in (almost) matching brick.

The writers were denied access to the rear facade.

The main roof is hipped with Bangor blue slates and two tall brick chimney stacks with stone coping and dressings. Original metal ogee guttering with square down spouts with hoppers.

Historical information

This bank was built in 1938, replacing earlier bank premises in use since the branch openied in 1919. Paul Larmour has suggested that the building may have been designed by R.M. Close. The large extension appears to have been added c.1990.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

Largely unremarkable two storey bank (with former manager’s house) of 1938 in the vaguely ‘Queen Anne' corporate style wiith brick facade, hipped roof and sturdy entrance surround. A large (but not wholly unsympathetic) single storey extension has been added to the north side and the internal layout has been altered.